Bloom Together
by SnowieBearSnarl
Summary: High School is hard. This is even true for Ruby Rose, the perfect student. With close friends, good grades and a loving family, she seems to have it made. However, being young isn't always so simple.
1. Reputation

**Riiiiiiiiing!**

The bell blared through the halls and into every classroom. Teachers mid-sentence stopped and the relieved sighs of students were joined quickly by chatter and laughter as kids flooded the linoleum paved hallways.

"Uhg, that sucked. I hate Professor Oobleck's class" A young boy with light, curly brown hair let out a deeply stressed exhale. His fluffy fox tail dragging almost on the floor behind him. -_Alan Skye, High School Junior, perpetually stressed_-

"Alan, it wasn't that bad. At least he didn't spend the whole class getting distracted again." A bright smile and a soft voice, shining silver eyes brimming with optimism that captivated everyone that looked into them. With a cute black top with an artistic depiction of a rose on her back, white shorts with black thigh high socks, she was hard to miss. -_Ruby Rose, High School Junior, Perfect Student_-

"I wish he did, at least then we would have had less work, his pop quizzes are killer." Alan groaned, imagining his grade on the quiz. "It's easy for you to be confident, you always get good grades."

"We can study after class if you want? I have to return some books to the library before they're overdue anyway." Ruby knew that Oobleck's class wasn't the easiest, Alan struggled with the AP courses. _But we've got to stick together, I want everyone to do well._

"Yeah, maybe, I'll have to see what Krystal says though, I think we need to be home early today." Alan looked exhausted, and the day was just half over.

"Well, maybe we could hang out this weekend and work on it, then get some ice cream while it's still warm." With a gentle pat on his shoulder, she tried to reassure him. "Only two days left until the weekend, we got this."

"Yeah… yeah! Bleh, it's been a month since summer vacation ended but my brain still wants to sleep in like I did all summer. Just need a bit more time to adjust I guess." Having finally been worn down by Ruby's bright and cheerful nature, all he could do was smile back at her.

"Hey, guys." Another boy spoke up, catching up to the pair as they walked towards the cafeteria. This was a shorter boy with lightly tanned skin, brown hair and olive green eyes. -_Oscar Pine, High School Junior, Adopted Son of the Principle_-

"How was your class?" Oscar grinned, his hands resting comfortably, interlocked behind his head.

"H-hey, Oscar!" Alan stuttered, his tail twitching subtly up and down. "It um, yeah, it sucked."

"I'd imagine, I can barely hack it Port's class, I could never do AP history, especially with Oobleck. I hear his class is killer." He smiled at his fortune, having no qualms with just getting by in regular classes.

"You're lucky, my parents would give me shit if I didn't take his class. Gotta live up to my sister's reputation, it's why I'm taking 4 AP classes and my GPA can't drop below 3.6. At least I got to choose my own clubs instead of doing the debate team with her." He was drained, mentally and physically and it showed.

"That's stupid, Krystal isn't a genius, she just loves academics, that's why she's so good at it. If you push yourself to do something you don't like, you won't be as good as someone just enjoying themselves. You should be focusing on what makes you happy." Ruby huffed, folding her arms over her chest in annoyance.

"Yeah well, tell that to my parents." Alan shrugged, knowing he was caught between a rock and a hard place.

"Tell what to our parents?" A girl's voice spoke up, soft but with an edge of displeasure. She was a taller girl with a fluffy fox tail and long brown hair and eyes identical to her little brother's. -_Krystal Skye, Senior, Prodigy of the Debate Team._-

"Hey, Sis!" A cheerful girl with long golden hair and lilac eyes waved at the three underclassmen from down the hall. -_Yang Xiao Long, High School Senior, Ruby's Protective Big Sister.-_

"We've been waiting for you, you'd think our student council president would be less lackadaisical, Ruby." A smaller girl with white hair and a beautiful dress stood beside Yang looking pretty irritated. -_Weiss Schnee, High School Senior, Rich Girl-_

"It's not their fault our class is closer to the cafeteria." A girl with dark hair and amber eyes glued to a book mumbled, leaning against a locker while her cat ears twitched atop her head. -_Blake Belladonna, High School Senior, Head of the School Paper-_

"Hey! Don't start lunch without us, I'm starving!" A tall girl with long red hair tied in a ponytail was followed by an awkward blonde guy. They were both sweaty but the boy was way more out of breath. -_Pyrrha Nikos, High School Senior, Star Athlete-_

"P-Pyrrha… Just because we come from gym class… doesn't mean… we need to run back." The blonde boy nearly collapsed, wiping sweat from his face as he panted for breath. -_Jaune Arc, High School Senior, Pyrrha's Boyfriend… Somehow-_

"Thanks for waiting!" Ruby beamed, hurrying up with Alan and Oscar close behind. "I'm hungry! Let's go eat."

"Woo, sub-par food and dirty tables…" Blake cheered facetiously, putting up a fist a few inches above her head while still reading her book.

"That's the spirit!" Ruby and Yang cheered enthusiastically at the same time.

"I feel so sorry for you peasants, I brought food from home, made by our head chef. I suppose I could share some of it since they made quite a lot. I have to watch my figure and all." Weiss shrugged with a playful grin, everyone knowing she always brought extra for her friends.

"Weiss!" Jaune and Blake both nearly tackled her to the ground. "You're the best!"

"Well, that was a quick one-eighty…" Ruby giggled at her sister. "But um, since you offered…"

"I heard we're having pizza today, so like… it'll be edible-ish." Oscar shrugged.

"Well, it's definitely better than the meatloaf last week." Alan shuttered just thinking about it, remembering his sensitive digestive system throwing a tantrum after eating it.

"Food is food, you have to keep your calories up along with balanced nutrition to help keep our bodies growing healthily." Pyrrha smiled, imparting some of her elegant maturity to her friends… all except Jaune and Yang who Weiss had just managed to slip away from.

"Hey, I'm on the weight-lifting team, I know all about nutrition." Yang flexed, showing off her huge biceps that could squish Jaune's head like a dumb, terrified blonde egg.

"Mmmm…" Blake hummed hungrily, her eyes pulled from her book by Yang's toned muscles.

"Uh-oh, looks like something's got Blake's appetite going." Ruby giggled, knowing all about Blake's affinity for risque scenarios.

"She's not hungry, she's thirsty." Weiss rolled her eyes with a tone so done with the situation, they thought for a moment she would pull a spray bottle on the cat faunus.

"Um, shouldn't we get going. I mean… we're the only ones still here." Alan gestured to the now stunningly empty hallway.

"Oh no! Our table might be taken by some hooligans!" Weiss snapped to attention and quickly walked down the hall, doing everything in her power not to burst into a sprint.

"She does realize that she doesn't own the table… right?" Oscar raised an eyebrow, watching the heiress rush towards the cafeteria.

"I can never tell with that girl." Yang just resigned herself to Weiss'... big personality, with a sign. "Come on, let's go before she threatens to sue someone for taking her seat."

"Sounds like a good time." Blake closed her book, finally pushing herself off the lockers.

"Yeah, I'm starving." Krystal smiled, looking excited as though somehow she was about to go into battle.

"Cool it, not everything's a competition." Alan shook his head, not even sure what his sister was possible thinking she would win at lunch.

"Alright, team! Let's move out!" With Ruby's powerful declaration, the whole squad moved down the hall, more than anything, all of them eager for the free time to just sit and talk with each other."

* * *

"Uhg... " Weiss groaned, slumped over the table that she occupied alone. "What took you guys so long?"

"Um, we had to get our food, and we weren't losing our shit over someone taking a table that's exactly like every other one." Krystal sat beside Wess, a dangerous combination of competitive egos.

"Hey, pizza looks pretty good today, want some Weiss?" Ruby smiled, sitting beside her vice president.

"Ew, I'm good thanks. Where's everyone else?" Weiss looked around, only seeing the two girls with her.

"Still in line, except for Jaune, he went to the bathroom I think." Ruby shrugged, opening her back of chips.

"Hey, that reminds me!" Weiss began, her eyes looking around the cafeteria before continuing. "You know that girl?"

"You're gonna need to be a little more specific." Krystal deadpanned, not waiting for everyone else to jump right into her main course.

"You know, that little one that's always getting into fights? Red hair, side braid, dark purple eyes?" Weiss turned her head, looking for said girl.

"Wait, you mean Thistle?" Ruby suddenly stopped eating, a worried frown coming to her face.

"Yeah! Her…" Weiss said _her_ like she was talking about some kind of evil villain. "Well, I heard that she beat up two kids in the bathroom earlier today! Apparently, it was so bad that one of them went home."

"Yeah, I've heard a lot of rumors about that kid too. She's trouble, I heard she just came back from suspension not even two weeks ago." Krystal joined in the gossip fun.

"Wait, two weeks ago? Um, are you sure she wasn't maybe out for some other reason?" Ruby smiled awkwardly, but they continued.

"Pssh, when isn't that girl suspended? She's a menace." Weiss spoke firmly. "If my father knew I went to school with ruffians like her, he'd have a fit."

"Hey girls!" Three new faces joined their little group, the one that greeted them was a cute girl with long, wavy blue hair and sparkly blue eyes. -_Ocean Vasilias, High School Junior, Singing Sensation-_

"Whacha talk'n about, sounds juicy." A boy with short, bright blonde hair and a money's tail leaned against their table, interjecting himself into the conversation without hesitation. -_Sun Wukong, High School Senior, Class Clown just for Kicks-_

"Sun, chill out, try to be cool. Eh-hem, ladies." A very handom boy with short blue hair, holding a striking resemblance to Ocean. The two half-siblings were obviously close but enjoyed getting on each other's nerves too. -_Neptune Vasilias, High School Senior, Minus 50 water resistance-_

"Wait, where's your boyfriend, Ocean? Rare to see you out of class and not joined at the hip almost." Ruby smiled playfully but fondly at her friend.

"Scarlet went and got kept after class for something." She was less than thrilled about this but took her seat with the gang regardless.

"Eh-hem, as I was saying, that Thistle girl is trouble." Weiss continued indignantly. "I would stay away from her at all costs."

"Oh shit, yeah, I actually saw one of the kids she beat up today." Sun slapped his hand on the table, looking like he was about to tell a horror story around a campfire. "It was bad, this girl had her nose broken and then another kid, this boy, stepped in to try and help her, she kicked his ass too."

"Dude, I heard she threatened both kids and their families to keep them from saying anything, that's why she didn't get in trouble." Neptune looked genuinely scared.

"Okay, that's enough." Ruby's sudden change in demeanor to stern and disappointed instantly got the attention of the entire table. "You should all know better than to spread unsubstantiated rumors like this."

"Ruby's right, we don't really know what happened." Ocean frowned. "Still, there's no doubt that Thistle gets in trouble a lot."

"Look! There she is over there, on that small table by herself, everyone is too afraid to even sit near her. What does that tell you?" Weiss narrowed her eyes at the tiny girl across the cafeteria before quickly looking away when her target looked up.

"Okay, that's enough," Ruby growled, standing up from her seat with burning determination and protectiveness. "I'm going to talk to her."

"Whoa! I know you're way too kind for your own good but this is crazy." Weiss insisted, grabbing Ruby's wrist to try and keep her from running off. "She'd pound your face in without a second thought."

"I'm going." As hard and firm as her namesake, Ruby's voice forced Weiss to back down. Without waiting another moment, she walked towards the other side of the cafeteria.

"Well, at least if she dies, I get to become president…" Weiss sighed, taking a sip of her tea.

Meanwhile, Ruby navigated through the throngs of students, keeping her eyes on the small girl eating alone. She was even shorter than Ruby, with a purple hoodie way too big for her tied around her waist and a cheap, worn out sleeveless white top underneath. Her hair was a beautiful bright red, short and shoulder length, but tied in a braid hanging down in front of her ear on just one side.

"Hey," Ruby spoke softly and warmly, standing beside Thistle with a gentle smile.

"Hey…" The tiny girl responded, her voice was awkward and her big, expressive soft purple eyes kept darting away from Ruby's silver. -_Thistle, High School Junior, Troublemaker-_

"I heard… you got into another fight." Her smile faded as she took a side right beside the girl.

"Those assholes had it coming. The girl was following me and when we got into the bathroom, she pushed me, so I pushed her back. She ran out and then the guy got the great idea to come into the girl's bathroom after me… so I kicked his ass." She shrugged, but Ruby could tell she was less than happy about the rumors reaching her.

"I'm sorry, did you talk to the teachers ab-"

"Nope." Thistle said bluntly, leaning back with her knees under the table keeping her from falling off her little stool attached to the table. "Didn't matter, both of them were too scared to rat so I'm in the clear."

"Well, at least you're not in trouble again." Ruby gave a heavy exhale, releasing the built of tension that had grown in her chest since Weiss told her about the rumor. "You sound like you're doing better, by the way, that flu did a number on you."

"Uhg! Yeah, I was stuck at home for two weeks, it was somehow even more miserable than being stuck here… well, I guess you're not so bad." Once again, all Thistle could do was look awkwardly away.

"You know, there a rumor that you were suspended those two weeks." Ruby giggled, prodding Thistle's side with her elbow.

"Pff, good, can't go letting people think some stupid cold knocked me on my ass." She smiled, it was more bitter than sweet, but it was progress.

"Don't worry, I didn't reveal your superhero weakness." Ruby felt happy, her smile was so bright and genuine, but still… _Something feels off._

"Thanks for keeping my secret, can't let my high school enemies using the bio-chem lab to create a super virus or some shit." Slowly, the bitter was leaving her grin as she loosened up around Ruby.

"Hey, why don't you come and sit with me and my friends? I promise none of them bite… except for Weiss… with words." Ruby placed her hand softly on Thistle's shoulder as she continued. "You don't need to be eating all alone you know."

"Look, Ruby…" Thistle's warmth and light faded to a bleak visage as she shoved Ruby's touch off of her.

"Just because we're dating doesn't mean you need to include me in everything you do." Thistle looked angry, but more than that, Ruby could see sadness underneath the bitterness. -_Thistle, High School Junior, Ruby's First Girlfriend-_

"I- I know, but I-"

"I'll… I'll talk to you later. I have to go." Without another word, without even picking up her tray, Thistle left, with Ruby now sitting alone, distraught and hurt.

_Why does she do that?_ Ruby found herself thinking as she walked back to her friends. _I know she's not trying to be mean, that isn't like her. I know she likes me, or at least… I think she does. So why does it feel like she's always pushing me away? We've been dating for over a month now, but it doesn't feel like she's let me in at all._

"Hey! There you are, Sis! Oh, you do not look good. Did it go that badly?" Yang's words barely reached her sister as the class president sat down.

"I- oh, um, no, it's fine." Shaking her head to clear her thoughts, she took her seat back beside Weiss. "I offered to let her sit with us but she um, I guess she had other things to do."

"Like beat up a kid for their lunch money." Weiss wasn't any more forgiving after seeing Ruby come back looking so hurt.

"It's not your fault, even if she had interest in hanging out with us at all, she probably wouldn't." Weiss continued. "It would hurt her street cred, or whatever it's called."

"Yeah, being seen with us might hurt her reputation." Krystal agreed, nodding with conviction. "She's a lost cause, I'd leave her alone."

Ruby dipped her head, keeping quieter than usual while her friends laughed and talked, the subject changing so many times no one could keep up but they were all happy anyway… except for Ruby.

'_Is that really true? Is she keeping me at a distance because she's embarrassed of me? I mean, she asked me to keep us dating a secret, I didn't think much of it at the time, but what if that's really it? I- I don't know what to do, maybe I could talk to Yang, she's dating… someone? I think? She's been really quiet about it, that's not like her. No, I think I'm on my own this time. The only thing I can do is…'_

"I need to talk to her." Ruby's whisper was barely audible to her, so none of her friends heard, but just saying it out loud gave her a kind of relief she couldn't quite explain.

* * *

Remedial Math. Easily Thistle's least favorite class. The room was cramped, smelled like shit, hot as fuck because it was over eighty degrees and the AC was broken, and to top it all off, one of the dirty windows was cracked and patched with duct tape.

The equipment wasn't any better; textbooks that barely held themselves together, profanities carved into the desks a pencil sharpener with blades so dull you couldn't cut a marshmallow with them and a teacher who hated being there just as much as the kids.

"Any day now…" The muttered under his breath. He was an unkempt guy with short black hair and always seeming hungover. Thistle didn't actually mind him so much, he was a decent teacher but he lost all his fucks by the final quarter of the class. -_Qrow Branwen, Remedial Math Teacher, Now in Bourbon Scented_-

**Diiiiing!**

"Alright, get the heck out of here, don't break anything or anyone on your way out." He opened a magazine and left it at that.

Thistle and about a dozen other flunkies flocked out of the room, filing into the hallway with all the good normal students.

_I hate this shit._ She growled to herself, stuffing her hands into her shorts' pockets. Her scowl was enough to deter just about anybody given her reputation. _Well, anybody but that weird, crazy girl. Ruby…_

Her expression softened as she thought back to lunch. _Was I too harsh? Damn it, my life would have been so much more simple if she never asked me out. Why does that smile of hers have to be so irresistible… I wish we were in class together. She seems like the type of person who smiles a lot in class._

"Hey." A growling voice ripped her from her thoughts as she came to a dead stop in front of a rather large and muscular blonde.

"What do you want?" She glared down the girl, she knew who it was. _Only a few things Ruby's sister could want, and I don't want to deal with any of them._

"What did you say to my sister?" Yang kept her voice and expression tame to not draw attention, but her intense lilac eyes said it all.

"I don't know who your sister is and I don't give a shit. Leave me alone." She tried to walk around Yang, but the larger girl simple stepped in her way.

"She talked to you at lunch, ever since, she hasn't been herself. That's my little sister, so I'm only going to ask you one more time. What did you do to her?" It took all the self-control Yang had to not bear her teeth and push the smaller girl against the wall.

"Back off, I don't know what you're talking about." With that, Thistle shoved Yang aside with surprising strength and began to walk away, begging silently for Yang to leave her alone.

"Get back here!" A firm hand pulled her by her shoulder.

In an instant, Thistle broke Yang's grip and turned to face her, the little girl's fists balled up and her eyes an inferno of rage and pain… until an image of Ruby flashed through her mind.

With the image of those sad silver eyes burned into her brain, all Thistle could do was let her body relax while her gaze went dull with sorrow.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry. Please, I don't know Ruby. Just leave me alone." Through hazy eyes, Thistle turned and sprinted down the hall, leaving Yang standing all alone.

At first, she was confused, her hand falling limply to her side until she realized. _I never said Ruby's name. I guess Ruby could have introduced herself, but that wouldn't explain why that Thistle girl looked like she was about to cry._

"Fuck." Thistle huffed under her breath after she was sufficiently far from Yang, so full of rage and guilt and confusion that all she wanted to do was lash out. '\_I'm going to fuck up the next person that fucks with m-_

**Slam!**

Suddenly, it was pitch black and Thistle felt someone gripping arm after pulling her into some kind of janitor's closet.

"You wanna fight!" She growled, rearing back her fist despite having no idea where to punch.

"No, I don't."

That voice… it snuffed out all of Thistle's anger in an instant.

"Ruby? Is that you?" Complete confusion overwhelmed her as strained her eyes in vain, until a phone light illuminated the small closet, and reflected off of pure silver eyes.

"Hey, I'm sorry for being so rough, I um… I couldn't think of any other way to get out alone." She tried to smile, rubbing the back of her head bashfully, but her face was just too laden with sadness.

"Huh, I didn't peg you for someone into this kind of thing, but I guess I could-"

"Stop it. I'm not here to joke around. We need to talk about us and I can't keep waiting all day just for you to run off again." Now, the little Rose' determination flared.

"Oh… I don't think I like that sound of any of that." Her heart was already pounding with fear and anxiety. She could feel her fight or flight response kicking in, she wanted to run, to break down the door and run away. _Why do I fuck everything up?_

"Why- why do you keep pushing me away?" Her voice wavered as she held back the tears shimmering in her mirrored eyes.

"Ruby…"

"I like you, I really do. I know we haven't been dating that long, but even so, I feel like you've been keeping me at arm's length since we met." Weeks of emotional turmoil was finally finding an outlet and Ruby was making the most of every moment, her beautiful eyes not letting Thistle's break away for even a moment. Her phone was shaking with her hand as it squeezed it so tight Ruby felt it might break.

"Are- are you embarrassed by me?" Those words left Ruby, each so painful that her voice was all be inaudible by the time she finished.

"Why would-"

"Because you're tough and you like people being scared of you so they'll leave you alone. I'm just… me, I'm soft, and I get good grades, and I'm the student council president. I know we don't really make sense on paper, but after a month, I just thought… I don't know what I thought." Her tears were barely contained anymore, something hurt, something hurt a lot. Her first relationship and within a month, it hurt. _I'm an idiot I guess…_

"No, no…" As Thistle spoke, Ruby felt two small, warm hands embrace her own, holding them tight. "You've got it all wrong."

"W-what is it then?" Nothing else made sense, all Ruby was waiting for was for Thistle to just admit it. _Then at least, I can- I don't know, recover? Is this how every relationship is? Yang always breezed through them without a problem, so why is this hurting so much?_

"You're right."

Ruby felt her heart crack like glass.

"You're smart, you're funny, you're kind, you're so bright it's almost blinding and you-you're so beautiful it's unfair. You're not a loser like me." Despite how often Thistle called herself that, somehow, it hurt a lot more than usual.

"You have good friends, you're popular, you get good grades, you have a good reputation… you don't need to ruin it over some bad-girl fling or whatever this is." Now, Thistle felt her heartache, a pain so dull and cold she wanted to go back to the overheated remedial math room just to feel the warmth.

"Do you really think that's all this is?" Ruby's brain all but stopped working, her expectations so shattered that she needed time to be able to think straight again.

"What else would you see in me?"

What hurt Ruby more than anything, was the genuine certainty in Thistle's voice, in her face, in her eyes, she had no doubt that there was nothing in her worth her time.

"I… I need to go. I'm sorry." With that… she left the closest, stepping out into the empty hallway before rushing to her next class.

Ruby was left alone, standing there, hurt and confused._ How could she think that? How can she not see what I see?_

Out of nowhere, a wave of fierce determination burned away her sadness and hopelessness in an instant. Her silver eyes regained their shine and her heart felt like it was pumping pure strength through every vein.

"I'm going to prove her wrong!"

* * *

_This is it._ Ruby felt a level of anxiety and nerves she wasn't used to. For someone that had social anxiety growing up, her time at high school pretty much cured her, especially having to speak in front of a thousand students as their president.

With a deep breath, she looked up and the clock and gathered her books. _Any second now._

**Diiiiiing!**

The bell rang and her nervous energy instantly spiked. She felt the urge to go back to her old nail biting habit as she took a deep breath and walked out of the classroom. She could feel lots of eyes on her, so much so that she held her books tight against her chest and wished she could disappear under a hoodie.

It was the end of the day. She wasn't sure how many people would actually show up to something so insignificant… until she got to her locker.

"Hey, there she is!" Yang grinned playfully. "So, you're dating someone huh?"

Behind Yang, all her other close friends and a good number of acquaintances were there, around her locker, all eagerly awaiting the announcement of who the Student Council President was dating. _I bet Yang had something to do with this. I just wanted my close friends, I'm not sure I even know the names of some of these people._

"Ooh! It's Alan isn't it!" One girl guessed.

Ruby looked at Alan to see him blushing and trying to hide.

"No way, it's Oscar right!?" Another.

And Oscar immediately followed Alan's lead.

"Is it Jaune?" Asked another.

"No way, he's dating Pyrrha." Krystal corrected.

"You're kidding me!?" Three voices said simultaneously.

"Um, I'm right here." Jaune sighed, Pyrrha only laughing as she grabbed his arm.

"Okay…" Ruby smiled awkwardly, stepping back and considering using her top tier track team skills to bolt out of there before anyone could make her want to crawl in a hole even more. Until a flash of red and purple caught her attention from the corner of her eye.

Just as she predicted, Thistle was leaving from the entrance nearest her locker to meet up with her older brother.

"One sec! Sorry!" Ruby was gone in the next second, and quickly, she caught up with Thistle, grabbing her by the wrist before she even knew what was happening.

"Wh- Ruby, I really gotta go walk my brother to work so-"

"This'll just take a sec!" Without hesitation, Ruby moved her hand down from Thistle's wrist and to her hand, entwining their fingers. To Ruby's surprise, she felt Thistle's clasp around her's before she pulled the tiny girl away.

"Everyone… This is Thistle... and she… she's um-" Suddenly, all the embarrassment of what she was doing finally dawned on her, but instead of looking at the expressions on the faces of her friends, she instead looked to Thistle who just held her hand tighter with the most awkward expression on her face between a smile and a scowl while her cheeks lit up as red as her hair. She really was too cute.

"This is Thistle and she's my girlfriend." With that declaration, she pulled Thistle close and smiled, only catching a glimpse of their shocked faces before she focused her gaze on her sister, a trick she learned early on to deal with public speaking anxiety.

"R-Ruby… I um… over here… please." With her ability to form sentences gone, all Thistle could do from there was pull Ruby back away from her friends.

"Heh-heh, sorry, please don't be mad, there wasn't supposed to be that many people and-"

"Ruby, I told you what this would do to your reputation. I'm radioactive. I- I don't understand this at all." Thistle shook her head rapidly, trying to make sense of what just happened. "Why did you do that?"

"Because I don't need to be protected from you. You're my- you're my girlfriend if you still want to be. I don't want to stay at arm's length anymore. I'm serious about… seeing where this goes. I think you're special, so, if you want to see where this goes with me, that would make me really happy." Ruby chest felt tight, it was like asking Thistle out all over again. _But in a way, that's kinda nice too._

"I- I um… I have to go. Vitali is waiting for me." Thistle stepped forward towards Ruby closing the gap, holding both of Ruby's hands in her own. "Ruby…"

"What is it?" She was beginning to panic, with the eyes of her friends at her back, and Thistle's unreadable voice and expression, the tension was getting to her worse than ever.

"Th- thank you. What you did, thanks for that." With those soft words, Thistle ran away, rushing towards the exit so frantically that she nearly fell. All the while, Ruby watched with a smile.

"You're welcome." She laughed softly to herself before turning around, only then remembering…

"Oh… um… heh-heh, so…" She laughed nervously, backing away slowly from the stunned expressions of her peers.

_Well, at least school is going to be a lot more interesting… for the next eight months.  
_

* * *

"Vitali!" Thistle shouted as she ran to catch up with her older brother. He looked a lot like her, but tall, muscular and intense. Though the two shared in their affinity for side braids.

"Took you long enough, I also had to leave without you." He smiled, messing up her oily hair. -_Vitali, High School Senior, Works full time after class-_

"I um, I got held up with something." It was out of her control, she could already feel her cheeks burning again.

"Oh yeah? I saw a bit of that. That girl you dragged you off, who was that, she looked familiar." His eyes drifted up towards the clear blue sky as he strained to remember.

"Uhg, she's your student council president, dumb-ass." Shaking her head in frustration, she walked in lockstep with him.

"Oh, right! So, what, you get in trouble with her or something?" He pulled a pack of cigarettes from her pocket and lit one up, taking in a deep drag of smoke.

"No! She… she's… she's my… girlfriend." Even with all the embarrassment and confusion she still felt, just saying that word while thinking of her… _It makes me feel… so warm._

"What? No way, she's way too smart and popular and pretty to be getting involved with you." With a halfhearted snicker, he pulled his cigarette from his lips.

"Shut it, Vitali!" Thistle growled, punching his arm. "It's… it's the real deal. It's not a prank or a fling. I don't get it, but she really likes me. That makes me happy."

"Oh? Well then, congrats having a girlfriend with shit taste. She does know what happens to delicate flowers in category five hurricanes right?" He enjoyed getting a rise out of his little sister.

"At least I have a girlfriend and social life, you lonely prick," Thistle grumbled, pulling her phone from her pocket.

"Hey, since she's your girlfriend now, I, as your older brother, get to talk with her, you know, protecting you and shit." He looked tired, he was tired… but he enjoyed making his little sister smile.

"I don't know if I like the sound of that." She laughed, not looking up from her phone.

"Don't worry, I'll go easy on her."

But to that, Thistle didn't respond. Instead, she just smiled down at her phone, typing out a text.

'_Sorry I had to rush out. It really meant a lot to me, what you did. I can't wait to see where this goes... with us.'_

* * *

Special thanks to my good friend Elizabeth for letting me use her OC Ocean =^-^=


	2. Paper Rose

Late-day light streamed in through the tall windows of the empty halls, casting a lone shadow on the tile floors. A young girl sat on a bench with her back to the low sun, silver eyes reflecting the cool glow of her phone screen as she scrolled disinterestedly through her social media feed.

A soft sigh escaped her lips as she let her hand fall inter her lap, her thumb clicking her phone off as she looked up at the ceiling. _I didn't know it would take this long. I hope everything's okay._

**Creeeak…**

The whine of an old door drew Ruby's attention from her thoughts, bringing her newly sharpened gaze up as two figures stepped out from the office behind it.

A cute girl with bright red hair tied in a side braid came out first, her annoyed expression instantly burning away to surprise and gratitude the moment she saw her girlfriend. Behind her, a tall man with brown eyes and grey hair stood looming over the petite student, cane in one hand while his other adjusted his small glasses.

"Ah, Ms. Rose, as nice as it is to see you, I'm rather surprised, it's getting late and there are no student council or track team meetings today that I know of." He smiled pleasantly, but somehow, Ruby could just tell he knew why she was really there.

"Actually, I'm here for Thistle." She blushed, rubbing the back of her head awkwardly.

"I see. Well, I hope you have a good evening. Thistle, don't keep your student council president waiting." With a nod and a sly smile, he retreated back to his office, leaving the two young women alone together.

"I- I um... didn't think you'd wait for me." Thistle's big purple eyes shifted downward while her cheeks lit up with a warm pink tint and the smallest but purest smile graced her lips.

"What kind of girlfriend would I be if I didn't bail you out of detention?" She giggled, a light step forward and she was there, only millimeters away. Leaning in and within a split second, before Thistle knew what was happening, a gentle warmth washed over her from a single point on her forehead where Ruby's kiss hit like a feather and a meteor at once.

"You didn't bail me out, but I'm still happy you're here. At least I know who I can count on if I end up in jail." Thistle smirked, pulling Ruby towards her by her hips before bringing her forehead to rest on hers.

"Please don't, my phone battery won't last that long." A huff of laughter and she could feel Thistle's warm breath against her face, filling her chest with a blissful heat before she tilted her head ever so slightly, letting her lips fall against Thistle's.

"Mmm…" Whatever clever or witty thing Thistle had come up with as a response, that sound was all her brain would let her make as it flooded with a strange happiness she had never experienced before she started dating Ruby. _She's really the best…_

"So…" The silver eyed overachiever softly licked her lips after pulling away, letting her heart slow down and her lungs fill with fresh air. "Do you um… want to go?"

"Huh?" It took her endorphin drowning brain a few extra seconds to process things before they clicked. "Oh! Yeah, um, right, let's get the fuck out of here."

"Hee-hee, anyone ever tell you that you're adorable?" Ruby just couldn't contain herself, throwing her arms around Thistle and squeezing her tiny girlfriend as hard as she could. "Come on, before we get locked in and have to spend the night."

"Well… at least it'd be with you, I'm sure I could think of some way to keep you from getting bored, even after your phone dies." Thistle smirked, nudging Ruby before taking her girlfriend's hand.

"Oh, what would we do with all that free time, alone, in the dark?" Mirrored eyes sparked with playfulness while her smirk alone sent a wave of heat through Thistle's chest and face.

"I- I um… y-you know… um… we-we um…" She was barely able to keep herself composed as with the most awkward look on her face and her brain melting from embarrassment.

"It's okay, sorry, I just love teasing you, you're so cute when you're flustered." A gentle giggle escaped her with a cute little **_snort _**punctuating her laugh. Sheepishly Ruby's eyes averted while she tried to stifle her enduring smile, her hand reaching up to brush away loose strands of silky hair in an attempt to hide her face, even for a moment.

"How the hell did I end up dating someone so… beautiful?" That last word held a great amount of weight, Thistle didn't even realize it until it felt like her chest was suddenly full of helium. It wasn't some superficial compliment, she wished so hard in that moment that she had telepathy, so she could let Ruby see just how deeply beautiful she really was. _What is this? We've only been together for two months… but damn, I've never felt this way. Okay, I need to keep a level head, it's just been two months._

"Thistle…" Ruby stopped, she wasn't easily flustered like her girlfriend, but looking into her expressive purple eyes, she could see something powerful in them as they reflected her own that made her heart feel as bright as the sun.

"S- sorry, I- I um…" She averted her eyes, unable to handle Ruby's gaze peering into hers. "I just meant… I mean… I- I don't really know w-"

"It's okay." Ruby squeezed Thistle's sweaty hand tighter, just to feel her. It was like nothing she'd ever felt, she wanted to run away as fast as she could and tackle Thistle in a deep embrace all at the same time… but she took a deep breath. "Things are good. We're good. Let's just take it from there."

"Y- yeah… that sounds good." Relief quenched her overheating body like an ocean wave. "L- let's go, I could use some fresh air, heh-heh."

"Sounds good, so could I." A simultaneous exhale breathed the tension from the girls' bodies as they continued to walk hand in hand.

Their steps echoed the empty halls as the left their awkward exchange behind them, but the uncomfortable silence followed them only seemed to amplify their discomfort. Neither girl could bring themselves to look at their partner, their hands entwined and their cheeks burning but their gaze averted to anywhere but the person walking beside them.

"So…" Thistle groaned, suddenly extremely aware of just how sweaty her hand was and wondering if her girlfriend was just holding on to be polite at that point.

"So…" Ruby repeated, squeezing Thistle's hand a little tighter, worried if her sweat was making Thistle uncomfortable. "How um… how did you end up in detention anyway? You've been doing really good."

"Uhg, it's my math teacher. I called him a useless drunk asshole." A grimace of annoyance overtook her awkwardness as she thought about it.

"Hah-hah, Thistle, why would you do that." Despite her shaking her head in disapproval, she couldn't help but smile and laugh. _Wait… drunk?_

"I was napping and he dropped a book on my desk and it scared me! It's not my fault, it was just the first thing I blurted out." She pleaded her innocence but Ruby wasn't buying it.

"Have you tried not napping in class?" She nudged Thistle with her shoulder. "So, this drunk asshole, was he-"

"You!" Thistle growled suddenly, Ruby's hand released Thistle's while her eyes followed her girlfriend's outstretched arm to her finger pointing at a man who had come from an adjacent hallway.

"Uhg, just what I needed." A tall man with scruffy facial hair and dull crimson eyes groaned... until he looked over to Ruby. "What are you doing here Pipsqueak?"

"Just picking up my delinquent from detention," Ruby giggled. "You're here pretty late too, something up?"

"Eh, just paperwork," He shrugged with a cool smile. "So, what are you doing with this pain the butt? She get in trouble with the student council or something?"

"No!" Ruby puffed out her cheeks and narrowed her eyes at the teacher before pulling Thistle against her with her arm around the smaller girl's lower back. "Thistle's my girlfriend. We've been dating for two months now."

"..." Qrow looked from one girl to the other, and not for a moment did Ruby stop protectively holding the little troublemaker by her side. "I'm not drunk yet am I?"

"No, I really like her and you should be nice," Ruby spoke firmly but Thistle was only perplexed by how casually she was talking to a teacher.

"Well, if she makes you happy, that's what matters I guess." His smirk softened to a genuine smile before turning to Thistle. "And you, keep my niece out of trouble, you hear?"

"Oh! Are you making it to the party tomorrow?!" Ruby's eyes were brimming with excitement as she bounced up and down on her toes.

"Yeah, Squirt, I'll be there." He put his hand on her head and roughed up her hair as he walked by.

"Yay! See you there, Uncle Qrow!" Ruby shouted enthusiastically to her uncle as he walked down the hall.

"... Neice?" Thistle just stood there with her arms at her sides and a baffled look on her face. "Uncle?"

"Yep! I didn't Uncle Qrow was your teacher." Her smile was almost normal, but with just a hint of smug playfulness.

"Whoah! I- I didn't know!" Her heart was pounding again, her eyes darting between her girlfriend and her teacher, her brain still catching up with the shocking revelation.

"Hmm, well, don't let it happen again." With a grin, she held Thistle's arm close against her chest. "You can make it up to me and him by staying out of trouble."

"Yes, Ma'am." Thistle submitted instantly. _I wouldn't have cared last year… what is this girl doing to me?_

"Wait," Thistle stopped, her brain finally having taken in that whole exchange. "What party were you guys talking about?"

"Oh, right, I didn't tell you… um, it's my birthday tomorrow." A bashful giggle concealed a moment of fretfulness in her voice that still bled through ever so slightly.

"What?! How come this is the first I'm hearing about this? Wait, your birthday is on Halloween?" A dubious eyebrow raised.

"Heh-heh, yeah, pretty weird huh? Still, if you want to come with…" There it was again, that worried tone.

"I- I'd love to come…" Thistle's smile faded and her hand slipped from Ruby's. "I'm just not sure I can."

"Oh…" A strange mix of relief and disappointment saturated the single syllable. "That's okay, I know this was last minute."

"So, why was it last minute?" Taking a step back from Ruby, all she could manage was to meet her girlfriend's eyes only for a moment, before looking away.

"It's complicated." A hard exhale, things she wasn't ready for hitting her without any time to prepare. "I just- I know Uncle Qrow, he's cool with just about everything. Still, you're my first real romantic relationship. I really like you, I want to bring you home and show you off to everyone, it's just that…"

"You're embarrassed by me." The face that Thistle made at that moment broke Ruby's heart. It wasn't anger or bitterness, it wasn't even so much sadness… it was resignation.

"No! No-no-no-no-no! It's not that!" She grabbed the tiny girl by her wrist and pulled her close as hard as she could, as though physically rending Thistle from sinking in depression.

"I'm not embarrassed! You're amazing! I'm so lucky to have you, don't ever think you're not good enough for me!" Ruby's eyes shined like mirrors reflecting all the light in her heart into Thistle to burn away her darkness.

"T-then why-"

"Because… they don't know that I'm into girls… and I'm scared about how they'll take it." Shame pulled her eyes from the girl she was falling so deeply for.

"Oh," Her tone softened with compassion as she tenderly took Ruby's hands in her own. "I didn't know. I just- Vitali always knew, I never really think about it. I guess not every family is like that huh?"

"I don't know if they are or not. Yang's been exclusively with boys so it's never come up. I know Uncle Qrow won't tell them, I mean, I don't think they'll have a problem with it, I'm just nervous." Her forehead fell onto Thistle's shoulder, physically leaning on her girlfriend's shoulder for support.

"Hey, I'm sorry, I shouldn't have jumped to conclusions." Thistle lovingly wrapped her arms around Ruby, holding her close while standing on her toes to make the taller girl more comfortable. "If it helps, I can tell them with you. Vitali's at work and- and I really don't want to be home alone."

"It's a school night, I'm not usually allowed to bring friends over…" As she lifted her head back up to look at Thistle, she caught the last glimpse of pain and turmoil in her girlfriend's visage. A look in her dull purple eyes that Ruby couldn't begin to fathom, but knew instinctively what it meant. _Pain, she's in emotional pain. She doesn't want to go home alone? Where are her parents? A business trip? I can't abandon her like this!_

"But I'll make it work." Giving Thistle her brightest, shining smile, she once again, with just a look, scoured away the encroaching sadness in Thistle.

"Thank you… I'm sorry I can be a pain in the ass sometimes." Now, it was her turn to lean on Ruby.

"Hey, you're not just a pain in the butt, you're my girlfriend." Giggling, she playfully patted the top of Thistle's head.

"Fuck, have you been spending time with my brother behind my back? You're starting to sound like him." Shaking her head to shoo away Ruby's hand, Thistle tried her best to hold back her growing smile.

"Can you really talk to my parents with me? It's scary by myself." Cautious optimism filled her eyes as she looked anxiously at Thistle, who destroyed her doubts in just one warm smile.

"No matter what they say, I'll be right there with you." Thistle's cheek came to rest tenderly against Ruby's and for a moment, the two just stayed like that, taking in the other's warmth which melted away all their stress.

* * *

"Mom, Dad, I'm home." Ruby's voice echoed through the warm, well-lit home as she and her girlfriend entered from the front door.

"Hey, Sis."

"Eeeep!" Ruby jumped, instantly pushing herself against Thistle before her brain caught up with the situation. "Yang! You scared me half to death."

"Consider it payback since I covered for you with Summer and Dad." Yang was leaning against the wall just beside the door as though she had been lying in wait for them. "Well, I guess now I see why you were out so late."

"I- It wasn't like that!" Ruby blushed, stomping into her home.

"Ruby, you're home. It's already dark, where were you?" Following the voice Thistle turned to see a beautiful woman that looked so much like Ruby it was almost creepy. -_Summer Rose, Parent, Ruby's idol_-

"Mom, heh-heh, sorry. I kinda lost track of- okay, no, I knew it was getting late, I just didn't want Thistle walking alone in the dark." Ruby was feeling a whole different kind of heat, one far less pleasant than in her girlfriend's embrace. "Sorry…"

"Oh? Who's Thistle and why was she leaving school so late?" Summer was hard to read, but she didn't seem as much angry as curious.

"Hi…" Without having any clue what to say in that moment, all Thistle could do was raise her hand awkwardly and barely squeaked out a single word.

"Hello, it's nice to meet you, Thistle. It's not often Ruby brings friends home this late, but you're more than welcome to come in." A bright and warm smile, Thistle could see where Ruby got it from.

"T-thank you." Despite Summer's inviting tone, Thistle was still tense as she and Ruby walked past Yang, decidedly not holding hands yet.

"Mom…"

"What is it, sweetie? Oh, and why exactly did you two leave school so late?" Immediately, Thistle felt her stress spike at the seemingly innocent question.

_Can she tell that I'm nothing but trouble? Did Mr. Branwen tell her? What should I do? Ruby said she's not ashamed of me, but I don't want to risk her mom thinking bad of me, I don't want to lose Ruby like that._ Thistle felt her heart pounding and her hand almost immediately reached for Ruby's before she stopped herself. _What does she want me to do?_

"I- I…" You didn't even need to look at Ruby to feel her stress from across the room as her mind raced to figure out just what to say. Her silver eyes nervously darting around the room, afraid to linger on anything too long while they followed Summer into the kitchen. _What can I say? What does Thistle want me to say? I don't want her to think I'm ashamed of her, but I don't want my mom thinking bad of her either. Should I tell the truth or should I-_

"I was in detention." Thistle braced herself, her fists balling and her muscles tensing as they all came to a stop at the threshold of the kitchen. Out of the corner of her eyes, she could see a tall, muscular man with blonde hair, just chopping away at some vegetables on a cutting board.

"Thistle…" Ruby felt her chest flash hot and cold as anxiety and gratitude roiled within her heart, her fretful gaze shifting between her girlfriend and her mom.

"Huh, sounds like a story. Care to share with the class?" Summer smirked as she took a seat at a long, wooden table. She was so calm and gave off a gentle aura a lot like her daughter's.

"I, uh… I called Mr. Branwen a drunk, useless asshole."

"Bpfff…" A stifled snort of laughter came from the man at the cutting board.

"Tai, it's not funny." Summer rolled her eyes, but even with her reprimand, she was barely holding back her own giggles.

"I mean, it kinda is." Tai composed himself as he turned to face them. -_Tai Xiao Long, Parent, Doesn't Like Qrow_.-

"Okay, maybe just a little." Summer finally broke down and shared a small laugh with her husband before turning back to the two children. "Still, I'm surprised, Ruby really looks up to Qrow, but it seems like she was trying to protect you by not telling us."

"W-well, you see…" Ruby suddenly felt like she needed to open a window and jump in a lake just to cool herself down. Her shaky, sweaty, nervous hand slowly reached towards Thistle, missing on her first try which only exponentially increased her embarrassment.

"Thistle is… Thistle is…" Just as her fears began to cloud her mind from even forming words, a gentle, loving touch blew away the fog of anxiety and when she looked down, she found Thistle's hand wrapped tenderly around her own. Giving a soft, thankful smile, Ruby returned her gaze to her parents with renewed strength and conviction.

"Mom, Dad… this is my girlfriend." She stepped forward with Thistle, proudly showing off the girl she had such strong feelings for. _My beautiful, strong, kind, clever, amazing girlfriend._

"Damn it." A deeply disappointed voice huffed from Tai's direction as Ruby's father shook his head and stepped slowly away from the kitchen counter he had been leaning on.

"Dad?" Ruby's voice wavered and her throat felt tight with a held back sob. A cold rush of fear and pain swept over her as she watched him walk over to her mother. Time seemed to slow and warp, she barely registered Thistle stepping protectively in front of her, until…

"You win." His stark face brightened with a playful smile as he pulled out his wallet and handed Summer a small stack of Lien.

"Don't feel so bad, you were close, but I know my daughter." With a stack of money in her hand and a smug grin on her face, Summer kissed Tai before stuffing the money in her pocket.

"W-what the heck is going on here?" Ruby felt like every brain cell she had just given up. Looking to Thistle she got a reassuring shrug of confusion.

"Oh, Tai bet that you wouldn't bring a girl home until college, but I bet you would have a girlfriend before the end of high school. Thanks for making Mommy fifty Lien richer, my little rosebud." Summer patted her newly fattened pocket before sticking her tongue out at Tai.

"Wait… wait! You knew? For how long?!" Ruby lost her grip on Thistle's hand while her jaw nearly hit the floor.

"Your mom and I made that bet… huh, let's see… when you were in twelve, eleven maybe?" Tai raised his eyebrow while his eyes drifted up towards the ceiling.

"What? H-how did you know though?" Ruby was still reeling from the revelation and all Thistle did was giggle at her girlfriend's helplessness.

"We've all seen what you've got under your bed, Sis. It's no big secret." Yang snickered as she walked into the kitchen from behind them.

"Whoah! What are you creeps doing looking under my bed!?" Ruby's cheeks were burning red and she couldn't bring herself to even look near Thistle.

"It's because you never clean your room, Sweetie." Summer interjected. "To be fair, you have good taste, those women in your magazines are very pretty."

"I'm gonna die…" Ruby collapsed back against the wall praying for a swift end.

"Hey, look on the bright side, at least they haven't seen your search history like I have. Might want to learn how to close your tabs before you let me borrow your phone. Better watch out, Thistle, my little sister isn't as innocent as she seems." Yang patted the tiny girl on the shoulder with a big, satisfied grin.

"YANG!"

_This is a nice family._ Thistle smiled, happy that Ruby's fears were for nothing, watching them lovingly tease her but not for a second did anyone not support and love each other._ It's a warm home, no wonder she's so amazing. I wonder… do I really belong here?  
_

* * *

"Home, huh?" Thistle wandered through dilapidated sidewalks, illuminated by the flickering of street lights that should have been replaced years ago. It was cold, the late autumn air turned the night crisp and painful to breathe in through her nose. With every exhale her breath sent out a plume of water vapor from her lungs.

She left her bag at school, carrying around something like that in her neighboorhood was asking for trouble. Still, Vitali warned her against being outside so late. _But I'm tough, I'm strong. I can take care of myself._

Despite her reassurances, she kept her fingers wrapped around cold metal in her pocket, a karambit knife she kept for self-defense. She never had to use it, but it made her feel safer. Her ears were alert to any sound from behind her while her eyes scanned in front of her for any signs of movement.

_I- I wish Ruby could have come with me. It's a long walk from her place but I really don't like being alone out here_. She traded the security of her focus for a moment of comfort, imagining the warm, happy, beautiful girl right beside her, talking and smiling and holding her hand.

_But it's not always safe here, and I wouldn't want to put her in danger._ With a heavy heart, she brought herself back to the dark reality in front of her as she turned a corner down a small, one-way street that was eighty percent potholes.

Through the darkness, her eyes locked onto a small, run down, unassuming building. Her pace slowed despite how cold it was. She was shivering but her walk slowed every single step, every millimeter that brought her closer to the building sent flashes of her girlfriend's home playing through her mind. _Ruby's so warm, her family is warm, her home is warm. There was nothing but love there, I could tell. No one was hungry or cold or scared._

Sooner than she wanted, she was at the front door. Deep within her heart, a stray notion brought a bitter smile to her face, a scene of her running all the way back to Ruby's warm embrace… but she knew she couldn't. With a heart as heavy as lead, she opened the door.

No warm air rushed out, just sickening white fluorescent lighting flickering nauseatingly in the mold scented hallway. Not even a moment after she stepped inside, she saw a man lying on the cold carpeted floor, someone she didn't recognize, asleep and clutching a bottle of strong alcohol.

Quietly she walked by the passed out man and made her way up the stairs. Every door had multiple locks, some showed signs of damage from break-ins, some had bullet holes and almost all of them had been defaced by graffiti. It was a miserable place where people were rarely happy.

Thistle came to a stop at a door as rundown as the rest, but she knew by the faded numbers painted poorly onto it that it was the right one. Taking the key from her pocket, the cold bit of cheap metal felt like it weighed a tonne, she could barely bring herself to get it into the lock.

Her eyes were dull and her expression was completely void. No sadness, no hurt, no anger, just empty acceptance. The door creaked slowly open and she was greeted with a pitch dark world beyond the threshold. Still, she walked in the with the same expressionless face she wore outside, before closing and locking the door behind her.

**Click… Click-Click-Click.**

Thistle flicked the light switch by the door, feeling it out mostly from memory as it was too dark to see. Even so… the lights didn't come on.

"Short-fuse, that you?" An absolutely exhausted voice spoke up from the darkness before the room was bathed in dim light from a cheap camping lantern.

"Yeah…"

Vitali sat up from the mattress laid out on the floor between the small kitchen and even smaller living room. Thistle almost wished he would turn the light off, their apartment was depressing on its own. The nearest window was broken and sealed with duct tape that had long since lost most of its stick, the walls had wallpaper that was peeling off and places where holes in the drywall were punched in by previous residents.

"Sorry, I couldn't pay the electric bill yet, but don't worry, got my check coming in tomorrow, should have the lights on then, if the reactivation fee isn't too high." He tried his best to smile, but in that ugly light, Thistle could see a withered man, thin, drained and pushing himself as hard as he could through every tiny effort, even his smile seemed arduous.

"It's okay." She couldn't have sounded any less defeated as she kicked off her shoes and made her way to the bed. "It's my fault anyway."

"Self-pity isn't a good look, not everything revolves around you, it's not like you meant to get sick." He a dry, weak laugh left his through, sending him into a coughing fit from the dry, cold air in their apartment.

"You took two days off from work to take care of me, you were being a good big brother, I was being dead weight." Falling backwards onto the uncomfortable, cheap, beaten up spring mattress, Thistle landed next to her brother, staring at the water-stained ceiling.

"You're a kid, you're supposed to be dead weight. It's bad enough that you do all the cooking and cleaning around here." Vitali's sighed so heavy it seemed to deflate his entire body while his shivering hand rubbed his face.

"I should get a job, I'm not smart like you, I'm not creative or good at anything. You've been working too hard. Let me drop out and-"

"No." Life surged back into his voice filled with resolve and anger, but not towards his sister. "I am _not_ busting my ass just for you to quit. Once you stop being a dumbass you can have whatever life you want. I'm not gonna let you throw it away just so I can take it easy. I'm your big brother, I'm taking care of you. So shut up and just… just…"

His knees pulled up to his chest as he hugged himself, the stress broke through his every effort and in the dim light, Thistle could see tears rolling down his cheeks. He was shaking, his head falling between his knees as he let go, letting his sobs out while his body convulsed with every painfilled release of emotion.

"Just be a fucking kid," He cried, broken and pleading to no one and nothing. "You deserve to be a kid, fuck… why is it like this?"

"Vitali." Thistle threw her arms around him, squeezing him tight, as tight as her surprisingly strong muscles could manage. Her teeth were bared against an unseeable threat, a threat she could do nothing about. Her rage couldn't put food in the fridge or bring the lights back on… but her love could make the night bearable. "I love you."

"I'm sorry- I'm sorry." He just broke down, and all Thistle could do was hold him, wrapping their blankets around the two shivering bodies to keep them warm.

For what felt like an eternity bracing against a raging storm, she held him, the siblings a light-house in the hurricane of their lives. She cried, right along with him, the warmth of Ruby and the brightness of her girlfriend's home a distant, dreamlike memory to the harsh reality they lived in.

"I am being a kid." Her warm, loving, hopeful whisper barely reached her brother pressed up against her. "I- I want to go to Ruby's birthday party, tomorrow."

"A party?" He sniffled, wiping away his tears and trying to piece his broken mask of adulthood back together.

"Yeah, Ruby invited, I- I actually was at her house, she picked me up from detention. I was with her when she told her parents that she was into girls." She held his arm and smiled up at him through clouded eyes.

"Yeah? How'd that go?" He adjusted the blankets to wrap completely around them.

"Heh-heh, it was hilarious, everyone already knew. Things got a bit crazy, apparently, my girlfriend isn't as pure an innocent as she seems, according to her sister." She giggled, for a moment, feeling like she was back in that moment.

"You never tried to keep it a secret, you were all about the ladies since you were old enough to even express that. I was glad, never had to worry about you getting pregnant at least." He smirked, a spark of his normal self returning.

"Oh! That reminds me! I- I um… I really want to bring something to give to Ruby. I know we don't have money but- I don't know, I was hoping we could come up with an idea. I have something I can give to her, it's kinda stupid, but it's what I have to work with. Still, I want to do something special." She looked up hopefully at him and in an instant, a light-bulb went off in his head.

"Okay, okay, I think I can make that work. Ms. Rose lets me take home art supplies sometimes and-"

"Whoa! Hold up, Ms. Rose?" Thistle pushed herself off of her brother hanging onto him at arm's length with a shocked expression on her face.

"Yeah?" His eyebrow raised. "She's my art teacher, what of it?"

"Silver eyes, pretty, looks a lot like Ruby?" Thistle felt like she was putting together some great mystery, but her brother just laughed.

"Hah-hah, yeah, your girlfriend's mom is my art teacher, you really didn't know?" With a smirk he pulled his arm free from Thistle's grasp, causing her to fall backwards on the bed.

"Oh come on! Does her entire family work at our school!?" She threw her arms up in disbelief.

"Huh, I know her uncle is your teacher, her mom is my teacher, her dad is her teacher and her aunt is her coach." He hadn't really given it much thought until just then, but Thistle's mind was now completely blown.

"Seriously?" He eyes were wide and mouth formed an awkward mix between smiling and agape.

"Ha! So you're not just dating a teacher's pet, but two teachers' niece and two more's daughter. You're fucked." He couldn't contain his laughter at his sister's expense as he slapped the bed and fell back to his pillow.

"Uhg, fuck my life." She cupped her hands over her face and shook her head in defeat.

"Anyway, I may have an idea for something you could do, but we need more light. Come out in the hall with me, I think she'll love this." Reinvigorated with energy and drive he rushed to the kitchen, opening a loud drawer and pulling out a large handful of craft supplies.

"Oh, and it's a costume party so you'll need to dig out your old Halloween costume tomorrow before the party." He said as he closed the drawer behind him.

"Wait, no one told me about a costume party?" Tilting her head in confusion she followed him to the door. "Who told you that?"

"Your girlfriend's sister."

"Yang?" This surprised her almost as much as it scared her. "You guys talk?"

"Her little sister is dating my little sister, of course we talk." He shook his head at her disbelief.

"Wait, wait! I haven't worn that costume since I was twelve." Thistle was visibly beginning to panic.

"Not like you've grown since then." Vitali shrugged her off.

"These have!" Gesturing to her not-insignificant breasts, she never broke eye contact with him.

"So it'll be a little tight, just be a sexy fairy or whatever." He unlocked the door and stepped out into the hall. "Come on."

"I hate my life." With her cheeks hot enough to stave off the late autumn cold, she followed her brother out of their apartment, closing the door and sitting beside him on the floor against the wall.

"Okay, so, here's what you do. First, we gotta cut this paper into really thin strips…"

As Vitali explained the process, Thistle watched him effortlessly put something beautiful together. As much as she appreciated what he was doing for her, it broke her heart a little. _I need to do better. For him more than anyone._

-_Thistle and Vitali Tsvetok, High School students, Doing the Best they Can_-

* * *

**knock-knock**

A nervous tapping echoed from the front door of Ruby's house. There were at least a dozen cars in the parking lot. Music and laughter sang from within and warm light spilled out from the large windows.

"Coming!" A happy, familiar sing-song voice called out just moments before the handle turned and the door opened. "Thistle! I- um… Hmpff! W-what are you wearing?!"

Thistle stood at the door in front of Ruby, her blush so strong that the cold wind barely felt cool as it rushed over her face. There she stood, all shy of five feet of cute rage bundled up in a child's fairy costume that was way too tight around the chest area.

"It's my costume, it's all I had." She growled, baring her teeth while holding a magic wand balled in her fist.

"Heh-heh, um… this isn't a costume party." Ruby was doing everything in her power to not break down in a debilitating fit of laughter.

**Slam!**

The tiny fairy's fist hit the outside wall.

"Ruby, I'm going to jail for murdering my brother when I get home." Her rage made her almost scary despite her adorable attire.

"Please don't, I'm no good at hiding bodies." She giggled, stepping out into the cold with a dangerously sensual smile. "Besides, you look really cute like that. Maybe you could grant me a wish tonight."

"I- I um- wow…" Her brain turned to a steaming ball of mush as the heat from her cheeks exploded through her chest and head.

"Hee-hee, I'm so glad you made it." Satisfied with the reaction she got out of little Thistle, Ruby threw her arms around her girlfriend and kissed her softly on her chapped lips.

"Why do you do this to me?" All she could do was shake her head and try to stifle the runaway thoughts Ruby had implanted into her brain.

"It's fun, and you're hot and cute." Her innocent smile no longer had Thistle fooled.

"W-well… here, I uh, I want you to have this." She reached into a little satchel against her side and pulled out a small plastic ring. "I'm sorry it's not much but-"

"Aaw, I love it!" She looked genuinely excited and happy as she held the cheap, poorly made plastic ring, sliding it gently onto her finger. As she looked down at it with deeply fond eyes and a warm smile, her voice became as gentle as pure as her face. "It fits perfectly… thank you."

"It isn't much… I'm really happy you like it." She wanted to cry with happiness. She didn't feel for a moment that Ruby was just trying to make her feel better. Out of all the expensive gifts she must have gotten, the love and gratitude she had for the crappy piece of plastic were so genuine it made Thistle's heart melt.

"Oh, there's one more thing. Um, okay, Vitali helped me out but I kinda suck at this kind of this but I still really hope you like it!" Reaching behind her, Thistle pulled out a small, crinkled, roughly made paper rose.

"You made this?" Her eyes only held awe and disbelief as she looked from the paper rose to the girl who clearly put a lot of work and love into it.

"Y-yeah, it sucks but…"

"It's beautiful." Ruby didn't go for the paper rose, instead, she stepped forward, her fingers delicately entwining themselves once again in Thistle's. She could feel her girlfriend's warmth even from millimeters away, the pounding of their hearts beat against each other's hands as they held each other tight.

Time broke for that moment as Thistle closed her eyes, the last sight she had was the image of Ruby's beautiful, love-struck face burned into her retinas before the electric moment when their lips met shocked everything else away. _This is something special._

"I'm so lucky to have you." A gentle whisper right into her ear, Ruby's hot breath washing over her freezing skin sent a wave of warmth through Thistle's entire body. "Come on, we've got food and games and everyone needs to see your costume!"

"Aaand you ruined it." Thistle giggled, shaking her head as she was pulled helplessly along by her girlfriend.

_I want to belong… with her._


End file.
